Digital image capturing and processing system for automatically recognizing graphical intelligence graphically represented in digital images of objects

• US 7,784,698 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhu, Xiaoxun, Veksland, Michael, Ren, Jie, Knowles, C. Harry, Xian, Tao, Liu, Yong, Good, Timothy, Giordano, Patrick, Schmidt, Mark, Kotlarsky, Anatoly, Tao, Xi, Liu, JiBin, Essinger, Steven, Gardner, John, Kearney, Sean, Ellis, Duane, Ciarlante, Nicholas, Hernandez, Mark, Zhuo, Ming, Furlong, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US11/980,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20090101719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.42, 235/462.01, 235/462.09, 235/462.43
• US Class Current: 235/462.42
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/046 Arrangement of recording means in or on check-out counters record carriers or readers per se G06K
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/48 Laser speckle optics
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1012 Special detection of object
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10544 by scanning of the records by radiation in the optical part of the electromagnetic spectrum
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10564 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10574 Multiple sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10613 by rotation, e.g. polygon
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10623 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10693 for omnidirectional scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10712 Fixed beam scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10782 Slot readers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10792 Special measures in relation to the object to be scanned
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10851 Circuits for pulse shaping, amplifying, eliminating noise signals, checking the function of the sensing device basic electronic circuitry H03
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/141 Control of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 : with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/00 : Alarm indicators, e.g. bells
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/006 : False operation

Abstract

A digital image capturing and processing system including a system housing having an imaging window; illumination and imaging stations for generating and projecting illumination and imaging planes or zones through the imaging window, and into a 3D imaging volume definable relative to the imaging window, for digital imaging an object passing through the 3D imaging volume, and generating digital linear images of the object as the object intersects the illumination and imaging planes or zones during system operation. A digital image processor processes the digital images and automatically recognizes graphical intelligence (e.g. bar code symbols, alphanumeric characters etc) graphically represented in the digital images.

Claims

1. A digital image capturing and processing system for automatically recognizing graphical intelligence graphically represented in digital images of objects, comprising:

a system housing having an imaging window;

a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging stations, disposed in said system housing, for generating and projecting a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging planes through said imaging window, and into a 3D imaging volume definable relative to said imaging window, so as to produce a complex of coplanar illumination and imaging planes for omni-directional digital imaging of an object passing through said 3D imaging volume, and generating digital linear images of said object as said object intersects coplanar illumination and imaging planes within said 3D imaging volume during system operation; and

a digital image processor for processing said digital linear images and automatically recognizing graphic intelligence graphically represented in said digital linear images;

wherein each said coplanar illumination and imaging station includes an illumination device for producing a planar illumination beam (PLIB), and a linear image sensing array providing a field of view (FOV) extending substantially along said PLIB so as to form one said coplanar illumination and imaging plane (PLIB/FOV) that is projected through said imaging window and into said 3D imaging volume, for capturing digital linear images of the object moving through said 3D imaging volume.

2. The digital image capturing and processing system of claim 1, wherein each said coplanar illumination and imaging station further comprises:

an automatic illumination control subsystem for controlling the production of illumination into said 3D imaging volume, as objects are detected moving within said 3D imaging volume; and

an image capturing and buffering subsystem for capturing and buffering digital linear images from each said linear image sensing array.

3. The digital image capturing and processing system of claim 1, wherein said graphical intelligence includes symbols selected from the group consisting of bar code symbols, data matrix symbols and alphanumeric characters.

4. A digital image capturing and processing system for automatically recognizing graphical intelligence graphically represented in digital images of objects, comprising:

a system housing having an imaging window;

one or more coextensive illumination and imaging stations, disposed in said system housing, for generating and projecting one or more coextensive illumination and imaging zones through said imaging window, and into a 3D imaging volume definable relative to said imaging window, for digital imaging of objects passing through said 3D imaging volume, and generating digital area-type images of said object as said object intersects said one or more coextensive illumination and imaging zones within said 3D imaging volume during system operation; and

a digital image processor for processing said digital area-type images and automatically recognizing graphic intelligence graphically represented in said digital area-type images;

wherein each said coextensive illumination and imaging station includes

(i) an area-type image sensing array with optics providing a field of view (FOV) on said area-type image sensing array, and

(ii) an illumination device for producing an area-type illumination beam along said FOV, so as to form one said coextensive illumination and imaging zone that is projected through said imaging window and into said 3D imaging volume, for capturing digital area-type images of the object moving through said 3D imaging volume.

5. The digital image capturing and processing system of claim 4, wherein each said each said coextensive illumination and imaging station further comprises:

an automatic illumination control subsystem for controlling the production of illumination into said 3D imaging volume, as objects are detected moving within said 3D imaging volume; and

an image capturing and buffering subsystem for capturing and buffering digital area-type images from said area-type image sensing array.

6. The digital image capturing and processing system of claim 4, wherein said graphical intelligence includes symbols selected from the group consisting of bar code symbols, data matrix symbols and alphanumeric characters.